Hidden gems

If you fancy a hand of cards, Altenburg is the place for you: playing cards has been practised here for over 500 years, and the national card game ’skat’ was first played here. The town has a history of 1000 years, and boasts an impressive castle set on a rocky outcrop. Buy collapsible top hats on Rossplan Square, and baptise your cards at the Skat fountain: it brings good luck!

Bremen is where the traditional meets the modern, and metropolitan living meets north German hospitality. Here, you never have to travel too far or for too long. In Bremen, history, culture and life’s little pleasures are closely interwoven – and are often only a short walk apart. Arriving in the city by air is particularly convenient, as the journey from the airport to the city centre takes only eleven minutes by tram. Go on the trail of the Town Musicians for a true fairytale experience and discover Bremen’s feel-good factor.

Dresden was known as both the 'Florence of the North' and the 'Venice of the River Elbe' before World War II destroyed most of this once-magnificent Baroque city. But Dresden has managed to restore much of its former glory. The views from the banks of the Elbe and plentiful architectural delights, such as the rebuilt Frauenkirche or the famous Semper Opera, provide glimpses of what today’s vibrant Dresden once looked like. With 63 percent of its area devoted to woods and green spaces, Dresden is also one of the greenest cities in Europe.

"The city in its setting and entire surroundings may be said to have something ideal." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1797). Scarcely any other European city has had its praises so often sung as Heidelberg. The mysterious Heidelberg Castle, the picturesque Old Town, and as Goethe himself stated, the perfection of its setting – in the nineteenth century, all of this attracted the German romanticists, who immortalized Heidelberg in poetry, music, and art. Today the charm of Old Heidelberg is combined with a future-oriented and international focus.

Here, in the heart of Europe, you will find a world of excitement. There's a lot to explore in the Northern Black Forest region: magnificent countryside, art museums, impressive palaces, hiking and cycling trails, picturesque vineyards, as well as wonderful culinary delights.

Once you’ve experienced the city’s enchanting historical ambience and seen the mighty Kaiserburg, you’ll never forget them. The beautiful Old Town, which is the epitome of medieval charm, is nestled at the foot of the castle. It’s home to historical buildings, spectacular churches, one of Germany’s largest pedestrian areas and the traditional Hauptmarkt.

Sylt, often referred to as the 'German Hamptons’, has been a longstanding playground for Germany's rich and famous. Pronounced 'Zoolt,' Sylt is a stunning 40-km-long island on Germany’s North Sea coast, which has one of the longest unbroken stretches of immaculate sandy beach in all of Europe. Apart from the sparkling sea, Sylt is celebrated for its invigorating sea air, idyllic Frisian houses, and endless fields of bright-yellow flowering rapeseed.